Hydraulic transmission



March27, 1945. l Q BCOOK 2,372,357

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION Filed Feb. 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l fSG INVENTOR. E- Emmi \n Patented Mar. 27, 1945 N I TED A.STA'IAE'S PTEN T OFF-IC E knYDimULIC TRANSMISSION CharlesfB. Cook, Los -Angeles,`-' Calif.

f-ApplicationFebruary. 23, 1.9.43, Serial No. Y47 6,875

1 Claim. (01.192458) This invention relates to` a lhydraulic transmission.

The general objectof -myinventi-on istoprovidea novel pair of coacting iluidzcontrolled 'meme bers including a driven Vmember-and ,a dri-ving member with novelv means to cause operation thereof.

AA yfurtherobject ofy thy-invention is to provide a ,transmission .including .a novel means for I replacingv fluid which leaks fromY the :rotor chamber during operation of the'transmission A further object ofl my invention risjtofprovide a fluid Ydevice including members providing .a workingcircuit for yviluid =with ,-a :Weller reservoir associatedwith one of themembers andfwith apassagefor iuid from the wellto-the Vcircuit thus maintainingan eflicientouantity-of fluid in the circuit.

An additional objectoi my inventionisfto provide -a v`hydraulic `transmission including Ymembers providinga working Acircuit for fluidwith a reservoirk communicating iWith the circuit and witha valved conduit; to cause-fluid-topass from the reservoir to the circuit in `the .expansion cycle.

vOther objects and advantages v.of my invention will be apparent |from the following description taken `in connection with fthe 'accompanying drawings `wherein: 4

tFig. 1 isa central, sectionallongitudinal,aview showing a hydraulic transmission embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2, Fig. l; 1 Fig. 3 is a View similar to View 2 with the parts i acters I have shown my invention as'embodied in a hydraulic transmission which is indicated generally at I0. As shown the device includes a cylindrical casing I i and a rotor I2.

The cylindrical casing includes a generally cylindrical outer surface I3 which may have cooling vanes l 4 thereon. The casing is provided with a well I5 and with a rear wall I5 and a front Wall I1. The rear Wall I6 is rabbeted vat I8 to receive the outer member IS of a ball race. The inner member 20 of the ball race engages a shaft 2l which is threaded as at 22 to receive a threaded bearing retainer 23 which holds a retainer ring 24 against thebearing member 20. A

capr25 surrounds ,the bearing and has'a1recess 25Zwhich receivesthe shaft'Z i ,The vinner `end :of the f shaft l 2 I ts in Aa :bore 25 -on V:a collar 2'l1'vvhich1is` integral `With the-.rotor. `,'lheshaii-ZI .and the 'collar' 2l arefkeyed together byv a keyfZ which is-held in place ,by afset screwlfFg fl). Akey Z3' prevents longitudinalvmovement between the collar 2l and the shaft-2l.

Atits front end therotor I2 is provided with a .bossq onV which v.the .inner member .3| oli-@a ball race ismounted. The outer race member 32 fits in a recess 33 on a lhub-34 on `acoverplate 35. l y

Between the-coverplate 35and the-end I 'I vof thebodyl provide. a cylindrical rotor housing -36 which ,has cooling varies, 3l on .the :outer peripherythereof. Bolts v35i pass. through aligned apertures '39 Vin the ,closured the-rotor housing 36 and a flange 4&3 on the casing H. The rotor housingisA provided with a cylindrical chamber'4I V,the .axis Aof-,Whichis eccentric to the -aXis oftheshaft 2l Vandtothe axis ofthe casing II. Asa resultacrescentshapedcavity/IZ is providedin `which therotor revolves relative 4tothe casing. l

"Therotor is provided withspaced slots 43, 44, 45. and 46 which. are arranged in diametrically opposed pairs. v Betweeneachpair of slots I -arrange "inwardly extending notches 4l in which vane'rnembers 48 are slidably mounted. v.'Ihese vane members arenormally urged .outwardlyinto engagement with the outer Wall' o'f the chamber 42 by springs 49. The springs 49 flt in recesses 50 in the vane members and in recesses 5I in the rotor.

The slots 43, 44, 45 and 46 extend inwardly and intersect the bore 26. A valve member 53 slidesin the bore 26 and when moved inwardly closes the inner ends of the slots 43, 44, 45 and 46. The valve member is in the nature of a piston having piston rod 54 secured thereto. The piston rod extends through a bore 55 in the shaft 2I and has a shifting member 51 secured thereto. The piston includes a bleed aperture `58.

' The piston is adapted to be moved by a shifting member 59 pivoted at 60 and having a yoke 6I thereon. The yoke SEI has pins 63 which t in a slot 63 in the member 51. Rocking of the member 5S about its pivot will move the valve so that the flow of fluid through the slots 43, 44, 45 and Q5 will be controlled.

' I arrange a suitable iiuid packing member 25" in the recess 25' to prevent leakage along the shaft 2l. The hub member 34 is provided withv a shaft 64 which is coaxial with the shaft 2|. I prefer to employ the shaft 64 as the drive shaft, although the arrangement may be otherwise.

Within the well I5 I arrange a box 65 which has a port 66 communicating with the Well I5. The port 66 communicates with a valve recess 61 which receives a ball valve 68 engaging the upper end of the port 66.` The valve 68 is held normally closed by a spring 69 which is engaged by a screw plug 10. A channel 'II extends from the recess B'I and opens into the chamber 4I. This channel 'II enters the chamber 4I at the location of greatest eccentricity of the chamber.

The port 66, valve recess 6'I and channel 'II` constitute a conduit which permits ilow of uid from the well I5 to the chamber 4I but prevents s flow in a'reverse direction.

In the operation of my device when the shaft 64 is driven the casing is rotated and the fluid, such as oil, within the chamber 4I is held in this chamber and in the slots 43, 44, 45 and 46 so long as the valve 53 closes the inner ends of these slots. Thus the rotor is turned at the same speed as that of the shaft 64 except for the slight slippage due to leaks through the various engaging portions. When the valve 53 is moved outwardly and the slots 43, 44, 45 and 46 are opened fluid passes from the slots on the high pressure side, across the valve, and to the corresponding slot on the low pressure side and thus the rotor is turned at a speed less than the speed of the casing, the ratio of the speed being controlled by the amount the valve 53 is opened.

During this operation, due to tolerances, some iluid in the chamber 4| and slotsv 43, etc., will leak into the Well I5. The well I5 is initially lled almost, but preferably not completely iilled. In operation the amount of fluid in the well l5 is increased by the leakage from the high pressure side of the chamber 4 I.

To supply fluid to take care 4of this leakage I provide the conduit which in the disclosure consists of the port 66, recess 61, and channel 1I. The fluid in the well I5 ilows through this conduit being drawn into the chamber 42 during the suction or 10W pressure phase. In Fig. 2 the channel II is in neutral position. As the rotor housing 36 rotates clockwise relative to the rotor I2 the channel II is opened and at the same time the volume at that location of the chamber is increasing.

This causes fluid to be drawn from the well I5 and also at the same time oil passes through the slot 44 to the chamber 42. Without my improved conduit the amount of iiuid which passes through the slot 44 (and the other slots under similar conditions) would not be quite sufficient to ll the chamber and thus inefficient operation would result. With my construction the Working circuit is kept completely filled during operation, so that efcient operation is secured.

From the foregoing description it will be ap parent that I have invented a novel hydraulic transmission which can be economically manufactured and which is highly efficient for its intended purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-r A hydraulic transmission device including a casing having a cylindrical outer wall and having a well therein, said casing having a rear Wall and a front wall, said rear wall having a bore, a shaft v extending through said bore, said front wall have ing a bore, a rotor in advance of the front wall of the casing, said rotor having a collar extending through said front wall bore, said collar having a bore receiving said shaft, means preventing movement between the collar and shaft, a cylindrical rotor housing arranged about said rotor and engaging said casing front wall, said rotor comprising a cylindrical body mounted coaxial with the casing, said rotor housing having a cylindrical chamber arranged eccentric to the axis of the casing so that a crescent shaped cavity is provided in which the rotor revolves relative to the casing, said rotor body having diametrioally arranged pairs of spaced slots therein, said rotor having a central bore, said slots extending inward and intersecting the Ibore in said rotor, said rotor having a movable vane member disposed between each pair of slots, means normally urging the vane members towards the housing wall, said casing having a conduit between said chamber and said Well, a one-way valve in said conduit arranged to permit passage of fluid from the chamber t0 the well, a piston valve slidable in said rotor bore and movable to control flow of fluid through said slots, said shaft having a bore therethrough, a piston rod on said piston and extending through said shaft bore,vsaid piston rod being shiftable to move said piston valve, a cover plate on said rotor housing, and a shaft on said cover plate and coaxial with said first shaft.

CHARLES B. COOK. 

